Subcontracting often means providing services to clients that you would not normally provide.  For whatever reason the service you are subcontracting is not something you consider to be part of your core business.  So the question is, how should you view a client’s request for services outside of the scope of your business?

When faced with a subcontracting decision you need to ask yourself:

  • Should I do it?
  • Do I have to do it?
  • Do I need to do it?
  • Do I want to do it?  
Subcontracting does involve costs.  But, in terms of long term clients there’s a certain obligation that comes along with it too.  When you have a client on a long term service agreement then subcontracting is the way you can provide exemplary service.  

As an IT provider for a long term, steady client you should strive to provide any and all IT related services. If subcontracting will allow you to that, then the decision to go ahead is easy and straightforward.

Think of subcontracting as an opportunity to grow your client relationships a lot deeper.  Subcontracting services you wouldn’t provide yourself takes your customer service to a whole new level.  These are the things that clients remember when they talk to their business contacts, when they make referrals, and when they write testimonials.

Subcontracting is also an opportunity for you to bring on a new partner or vendor.  This gives your firm a much wider service capability that you can potentially use with other prospects and clients down the road.  

The most important benefit of subcontracting is the networking potential with these niche technology providers.  These people are an excellent referral source.  Your subcontracting to them, might result in them subcontracting to you down the road.   

Bottom Line on Subcontracting
Subcontracting services you don’t normally provide is almost an obligation for your long term clients who are on service agreements. Don’t think of subcontracting as an obligation though, it is really more an opportunity to deliver superior service and make excellent contacts with the people you are subcontracting to.

In this article, you’ve been introduced to Subcontracting. To learn more about how you can improve your knowledge about Subcontracting, just click here now to get access to a free one-hour audio training program on 5 Easy Ways to Grow Your Computer Consulting Business.